Harmonica device for playing two or more harmonicas



OCL 25, 1932. J NUMBERG 1,884,150

HARMONICA DEVICE FOR PLAYING TWO OR MORE HARMONICAS.

Filed March 5, 1931 Im-lim; lmldm ImII iH U ml! III I mu-I immull-ml I Ma) Ma ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 25, 1932 Umraa STATES- JOHN Ni NUMBERG, F IJAKEWOOD, RHODEISL'AND HABHONICA.DEV-ICE F0R= PLAYING TWO OR MORE HARMONICAS Applicatioafiled-March.5, 1931. Serial No. 520,184.

7 This invention relates to a device'for use in operating a plurality of harmonicas; and

person in the same manner as if a single:

harmonicawere being. operated. A. stillfurther. object of the invention is the provision of a. device by which a plurality of'harmonicas may. be operated inunison from a. singlemouth piece by suitably directing the. injected air whereby the volumeIof. harmonica. playin is increased by an individualitio give the e ectofi'many harmonicasplayed by. different-persons at the sametime. i

With. these, and. other obj ects in view, the invention consists ofcertam. novel features of construction as. will? be more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

n the accompanying drawihgx Fig 1 is a perspective view of two harmoni'cas assembled. for: operation in unison,

Fig" 2; is. an: end' view of a modification showing; three harmonicasi similarly connected.

Fig gl'is a central sectional. view on line 3-3 of Fig; 1.

Fig. I e. is. a. perspective view of another modification. showing. the: mouth piece having. a: single main entrance opening with diverging. channels and harmonicas clamped tothe mouth. piece on. either. side thereof in balancedf. arrangement tobe operated in. unison fromthe mouth piece.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of Fig. 4r on line 5.5 thereofl.

Fig, 6 isan end. elevation of the construc- V tionshown inFig 7., showing in dotted lines the position and arrangement of the diverging, branches of the air conduits from the mouth piece.v

Fig. 7 is a perspective view illustrating the harmonicas. as receiving air from the mouth piece and clamped" in parallel relation instead of in the same plane asillustrated in Figs. 4 and 5.. I

In the use of harmonicas, it is found that a plurality of harmonicas. giving forth more volume than a single one, producea more pleasing efiect than one harmonica, even tho each of the harmonicas is played in the same key; and in order that one person may operate more than one harmonica'to produce this desired effect, I have provided a device by which separate and independent harmonicas, as purchased in the market, may be assembled forsimultaneously playing by a single-person, the arrangement being such that the air used will successively pass thru more than one harmonica or willbe split up into diverging paths to operate two or more harmonicasyandthe followingis a detailed description of the present embodiment of this invention illustrating the preferred means by which these advantageous results may be accomplished Iv have shown herein several embodiments of this invention as illustrative forms, but it is to be understood that other varying forms maybe used",.which come within the spirit and scope of this invention, and that these embodiments are: for illustrative purposes only;

With reference to the first embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1' and 3, twolharmonicas 10 and 11 are assembled in tandem relation forsimultaneous operation, the harmonica. 10 in this instance is the mouth piece and must be modified by providing'holes l2'thru the end portions of the body thereof for thereception of bolts 13' for swingingly mounting a bracket 14' thereon, the bracket being of U shape and of'a size to receive the body portion 15 of the harmonica 11; This bracket is provided with a set screw 16 at its folded end for forcing the harmonica 11 tightly against the resilient gasket 17 between the harmonicas 10 and 11'. The harmonica 1O must'be further modifiedby providing openings 18 thru its bottom in line with each of' its usual openings 19 so that the air may con tinue from the first harmonica: 10' thru the second'harmonica 11, there being but a portion of the air used for operation ofthe reeds 20 in the harmonica 10, and the remaining portion continuing to operate the reeds in the harmonica 11.

It will, of course, be understood that the bracket 14 may be of any convenient length so that any number of harmonicas, such as three, may be mounted therein in tandem relation, as indicated in Fig. 2, in which case all of the harmonicas must be provided with openings such as 18, with the exception of the last or lowermost vharmonica mounted in the bracket.

In the construction illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, a suitable body or block 22 is provided with a series of mouth openings or conduits 23, each of which openings of the series has branch diverging paths 24 and 25 at the lower end thereof extending in opposite directions, each located to align and cooperate with the openings in the usual standard liarmonica which may be purchased on the market. 7

Suitably mounted at either end of the body 22, there is a yoke member 26 which may be secured to the body by being inset in slots 27 therein, the yoke member 26 being of SUl'llClGlll] dimension to receive the end portions 28 and 29 of harmonicas 30 and 31, which have their receiving openings abutting, the gaskets 32 and forced into engagement therewith by means of set screws 33 mounted in the bracket and engaging the bottom of the harmonicas 30 and 31, as indicated in Fig. 5. The harmonicas are thus assembled in opposed relation in substantially the same plane.

Referring to Figs. 6 and 7, I have provided a body 34 consisting of a mouth piece which is generally triangular in cross section having a series of mouth openings 35 split into two parts by a wall 44 forming conduits, each of which diverges into conduits 36, that the air directed thereinto may be divided and directed along two diverging paths and I have clamped the harmonicas 37 and 38 against the gasket 39 extending across the bottom of the mouth piece by means of the member 40 which is clamped against the bottom of the harmonicas 37 and 38 by a bolt 41 having threaded engagement as at 42, with the mouth piece between the branch conduits thereof.

Itis of course readily understood that there may be more than two branches or conduits in the mouth piece to direct the air forced thereinto into more than two harmonicas, in which case three, four or the like, may be used and the mouth piece may be extended in width at its bottom only, or some other different shape than illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 may be used to accommodate the three, four or the like, harmonicas, such as 37 and 38 in parallel arrangement, all clamped thereto for simultaneous operation.

The foregoing description is directed solely towards the construction illustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the device is susceptible, the invention being defined and limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A holder for use in assembling and operating'a plurality of separate complete harmonicas, comprising means for clamping a plurality of separate and complete harmonicas in adjacency, and means for guiding and directing air that it may pass thru the plurality of adjacent harmonicas.

2. A holder for a plurality of complete harmonicas, comprisinga mouth piece, means for clamping a plurality of separate and complete harmonicas to said mouth piece, and channels for directing the flow of air from said mouth piece to said plurality of harmonicas.

3. A holder for a plurality of complete harmonicas, comprising a mouth piece with a series'of main inlet openings therein, a series of branch openings therein extending in a plurality of diverging paths, each series arranged to cooperate wit the openings in the harmonica for directing the air thereinto, and means for clamping a plurality of separate harmonicas, each to receive air from one of said series of openings.

4. A holder for a plurality of complete harmonicas, comprising a mouth piece with a series of main inlet openin s therein, a series of branch openings therein extendin in a plurality of diverging paths, each series arranged to cooperate with the openings in the harmonica for directing the air thereinto, a member for engaging the bottom of each harmonica, and means for adjusting the position of said member to clamp the harmonica against one branch of said series of openings to receive air therefrom.

5. A holder for a plurality of complete harmonicas, comprising means for clamping a plurality of separate and independent harmonicas in adjacency, branch conduits communicating with each harmonica, and a main mouth opening communicating with the branch conduits. I

6.A holder for a plurality of complete harmonicas, comprising means for clam ing a plurality of separate and independent armonicas in adjacency, a mouth piece having a series of branch conduits therein, each series communicating with one harmonica, and a series of mouth openings therein communicating with the branch conduits.

7. A holder for a plurality of otherwise complete harmonicas, comprising a mouth piece having conduits for directing received air into a plurality of directions, and means for securing a plurality of harmonicas in position to receive the air passing therethru for operation of the same.

8. A holder for a plurality of otherwise complete harmonicas, comprising a mouth piece having a conduit, a plurality of branch conduits leading therefrom, and means for securing harmonicas in position to be operated by the passage of air thru each branch conduit.

9. A holder for a plurality of otherwise complete harmonicas, comprising a mouth piece with a plurality of series of openings therein closely adjacent each other for the reception of air from the mouth and then diverging, and means for securing separate harmonicas at the diverging end of said openmg.

10. A device for the operation of a plurality of harmonicas, comprising a mouth piece with a series of main inlet openings therein, a series of branch openings therein extending in a plurality of diverging paths, each series arranged to cooperate with the openings in the harmonica for directing the air thereinto, a member for engaging the bottom of each harmonica, means for adjusting the position of said member to clamp the harmonica against one of said series of branch openings to receive air therefrom, and a divisioning means in said main series of openings for directing air into the branch series of openings.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JOHN N. NUMBERG. 

